Valving structure



April 18, 1967 F. s. FLlcK ETAL VALVING STRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet lOriginal Filed Nov. 8, 1963 April 18, 1967 F. s. ETAL VALVING STRUCTURE6 sheetssheet z original Filed Nov. 8, 1963 Apri! 18, 96? F. s. FLICKETAL 3,314,443

VALV ING S TRUCTURE Original Filed Nov. 8, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet I5 Aprili8, i967 F. s. FLICK ETAL VALVING STRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 OriginalFiled Nov. 8, 1963 FIE-17 11920 lf-r FIEEI FIEE! m E F April 18, 1967 F.s. ETAL 3,314,443

' vALvING STRUCTURE Original Filed Nov. 8, 1963 6 Sheets-Shes?I 5 FlEEEApril 18, 1967 Original Filed Nov. 8, 1963 F. S. FLICK ETAL VALVINGSTRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 United States Patent O 3,314,443 VALVINGSTRUCTURE Francis S. Flick, Oak Park, and Richard M. Morgan, RiverForest, Ill., assignors to Flick-Reedy Corporation, a corporation ofIllinois Original application Nov. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 322,355, now PatentNo. 3,272,221. Divided and this application June 17, 1965, Ser. No.472,751

8 Claims. (Cl. 137-270) This invention relates to a valving structureand more particularly to an air valve unit including a subplate and aspool-type valve mountable directly upon the port of a motor forcontrolling the flow of the motive fluid to and from such a motor.

This is a divisional application of our co-pending application Ser. No.322,355, tiled Nov. 8, 1963, now Patent No. 3,272,221.

In the pneumatic and hydraulic piston and cylinder control art, a largevariety of different valves has been used to control the ow of fluidused to move the piston within the cylinder. These valves have hadvarious definitions, including two-way, three-way, four-way, etc., theseterms being definitive of the number of ports that the spool of thevalve may serve to eiIect various connections between uid passages orlines.

The present valve structure is particularly concerned with air valvesbut also operates with liquid fluids. The valve can perform all theoperations of two-position valves, including a normally open, a normallyclosed, and a position determined by the position in which the valve waslast set, more briey referred to as a momentary impulse, and in additionthereto, the operation of a three-position valve in which a connectionmay be made between the air supply and the cylinder, the cylinder andthe exhaust, or returned to a spring-centered position in which allports of the valve are blocked.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new modular conceptof valve construction and assembly for the control of air ow to an airmotor.

The present air control valve may be actuated by air pressure taken fromthe supply, this operation sometimes being called a pilot-actuatedvalve. The fluid causing the actuation may be either air or a liquid. Itis also a feature of the present new valve structure that a simplesubstitution of mechanism for a bonnet on the valve will permitoperation of the valve by hand, foot, r other mechanical means, all ofwhich may be termed non-air actuated valves.

It is a further feature of the new structure that a simple substitutionof an adjustable spring member on one end of the valve will provide aunit holding the valve in a position until the pressure of an opposingforce is built up to a predetermined value, whereby the valve mayoperate as a sequence controlling valve. It is therefore an object ofthis invention to provide simple means for converting the valve frompilot pressure to hand or mechanical operation by substitution of abonnet on the valve body.

In the present invention the valve is mounted substantially directly onthe port conducting the air into the piston and cylinder device. Anobject of this invention is to provide a unit including a subplate and avalve assembly which can easily be assembled directly to cylinder portsproviding quick supply and exhaust of air to the cylinder.

Another object is to provide such a subplate and valve with symmetrypermitting the valve to be mounted inv either of two positions relativeto each other and having a subplate also reversible in positionproviding maximum' latitude and convenience in piping an installation.

A subsidiary object of the invention is to provide connections forsupply, exhaust and power communication properly oriented to the valveand the air motor while maintaining properly oriented pilot airconnections for the controlling of the valve.

Another feature of the present valving unit is that the valve is mountedto the subplate distinctly apart from the piping of the air to thevalve. Air lines are connected into the subplate and the valve mountedsolely to the subplate so that the valve may be removed withoutdisturbing the piping. Even more importantly, the subplate has means forconnection to an air motor directly to the port for the air, soconstructed and arranged that the motor may be disconnected from thevalving unit without disturbing the air supply piping. It is thus anobject of this invention to provide a structure in which the valve isremovable without disturbing piping and in which the air motor may beremoved from the installation also without disturbing the piping.

Another object is to provide novel means for sealing the modularcomponents together automatically as a part of assembly.

A further object is to provide an assembly of modular units in which thesubplate is the only unit connected to the air motor and in which thepower valve may be mounted on the subplate and a control unit may alsobe mounted to the subplate for controlling the power valve, including asolenoid housing for operating the control valve, said power valve,solenoid and control valve each being removable from the assemblywithout disturbing any of the other modules.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the lfollowing description of a preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the aC- companying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a broken side elevational View partially in section of apiston and cylinder device with a pair of valve units of this inventionmounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the subplate lunit of the valvingstructure of this invention showing the top surface upon which the valvemember is to be mounted;

FIGURE 4 is a central cross sectional view throughthe valve unitincluding the valve and the subplate showing in phantom the airconnection piping and cylinder head upon which the unit is mounted, thesubplate being in half section;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the valving unit;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of the valving unit;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the valving unit;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of the valving unit with the pipe portconnecting device removed;

FIGURE 9 is a broken cross sectional view through the valve membershowing the arrangement of parts arranged for a normally open valveoperation;

FIGURE 10 is similar to FIGURE 9 showing the arrangement of parts for anormally closed valve operation;

FIGURE l1 is similar to FIGURE 9 showing the arrangement of parts for amomentary impulse valve operation;

FIGURE l2 is similar to FIGURE 9 showing the arrangement of parts for athree-position spring-centered valve operation;

FIGURE 13 is an end elevational View of a' valve spring cage utilized inthe valve structure shown in FIGURES 4 to 12;

FIGURE 14 is a cross sectional view through the auxiliary air supply tapin the subplate taken substantially along line 14-'14 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE is a cross sectional view through the central air passage in thesubplate taken substantially along line 15-15 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 16 is a cross sectional view through the pilot air passage in thesubplate taken substantially along line 16--16 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 17 is a central sectional view through the valve body of thevalve structure shown in FIGURES 4 to 12 with all other parts of thevalve removed;

FIGURE 18 is a bottom plan view of the valve body shown in FIGURE 17;

FIGURE 19 is a cross sectional view through the valve body through theexhaust port thereof substantially along line 19-19 in FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 20 is a cross section through the valve body showing the pilotpressure passages taken substantially along line 20-20v in FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 21 is a cross section through the valve body taken through thecentral port therein substantially along line 21-21 in FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 22 is a fragmentary central sectional view through the valvingunit having a sequence bonnet mounted on one end of the valve member inplace of the usual bonnet;

FIGURE 23 is a brokenend elevational view of the structure shown inFIGURE 22;

FIGURE 24 is a side elevational view with parts of the valve broken awayshowing a hand operator for the valve in place on the body in place ofthe usual bonnet;

FIGURE 25 is a top plan view of the hand operator shown in FIGURE 24;

FIGURE 26 is a broken fragmentary sectional view through the pivotmember of the hand operator taken substantially along line 26-26 inFIGURE 25;

FIGURE 27 is an end elevational view of the pivot member shown in FIGURE26 removed from the assernbly; and l Y FIGURE 28 is an explodedperspective view of the valve assembly illustrated in FIGURE 4 with acontrol valve, control valve subplate, and solenoid assembly comprisinga part of the invention.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings, there isshown a piston and cylinder device having a piston 30 recipro-cablewithin a cylinder barrel 31 in order to move a piston rod 32 in and outthrough a head 33. Piston and cylinder devices operated by air orhydraulic pressures are widely used for many operations, the presentdevice being illustrated in a machine tool grade air cylinder. The head33 has a port 34 through which air is conducted Yto the left-hand sideof the piston 30. The cap 3S on the opposite end of the cylinder has asimilar po-rt 36 for conducting air torand from the cylinder on theright-hand side of the piston. The head and cap' are of square designhaving'flat surfaces with ports containing a threaded outer portionwhere the passages intersect the outer surface of the head or cap.

In the present invention the cylinder movement is controlled by a valvemounted as close as can be to the port in the head of the cylinder. InFIGURES 1 and 2 the valving unit so mounted comprises a subplate 37 anda valve 38 mounted directly thereon, the entire assembly being on thecap yof the cylinder. On the head of the cylinder at the left-hand endthere is an identical subplate 39 and an identical valve 40. As bestillustrated in FIGURE 2, air is conducted to the left-hand valve unitthrough a pipe 41 and to the right-hand unit through a pipe 42. Thesesupply pipes may be conveniently provided with pipe threads and directlythreaded into the respective subplates 37 and 39.

In FIGURE 2 certain air control tubing for the valves is illustrated. Acontrol tubing 43 supplies air to a remote valve which controls theconduct of air to pilot air passages within the valves 38 and 4t) forair actuation of the valve spools in valves 3S and 40. The line 44 isconnected to the valves in such a fashion as to cause the valves 38 and40 to be set to cause the piston rod 32 to retract into the cylinder andthe line 45 produces the opposite effect. In this instance, the valves38 and 40 would each be a two-position momentary impulse valve, that is,the spool in the valve would remain in the position to which it wasforced by the pilot air pressure until such time as pilot pressure wasintroduced into the opposite end of the spool to move it to its otherposition. Since one set of pilots is cross connected by a control linetubing 46, a single control line 44 may conduct the control air to theopposite ends of the valves 38 and 40, effecting movement of the spoolstherein simultaneously and similarly the cross connected tubing 47between the opposite ends of the valves moves the spools of the valvesin the opposite direction.

Ordinarily, valves used to control the air motive fluid are termed powervalves when used in a power line, and the valves which control the powervalves are generally termed control valves when used in control lines.Valves 38 and 40 are power valves as used and as illustrated, since theycontrol the air used as motive uid for the piston and cylinder devicewhen mounted as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The valving structure is an/assembly of two primary parts as illustratedin FIGURES 4 to 8. The subplate 37 is a rectangular box-like aluminumdie-casting with certain Imachined surfaces and passages. As illustratedin FIGURE 4, the air inlet pipe 42 may be directly threaded into a pipethreaded port 48 in one end of the subplate so as to connect with thesubplate passage 49 exiting the plate on the top flat machined surface(FIG- URE 3). The spool valve 38 fastens directly onto the flat surfaceS0 of the subplate, its ports and air passages .y mating with those inthe subplate.

- end of the subplate.

The subplate structure is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 and the sectionstherethrough of FIGURES 14 to 16. A threaded opening 51 is on the endopposite the opening 48 so that an air supply pipe may be threaded intoeither Tapped passage 51 communicates with the upright passage V52equally distant from the center of the subplate as is t-he passage 49.In the central part of the subplate there is a passage verticallythrough the subplate designated 53. In FIGURE 15 it may be noted thatintermediate the passage, there is a partial wall 54 providing a supportfor .a machine screw 55 to be connected to the port nut 56 by which theentire subplate 37 might be attached to the threaded port of a pistonand cylinder device such as the port 36 in the cap 35 (FIGURES 1 and 4).Air may be conducted through the central passage 53 through the port nut55 on into the cylinder. Y

The central passage in the subplate is also provided with a lateralthreaded opening 57 shown in this instance as being blocked by a plug58, its purpose being the connection of the cylinder port air passage ofone subplate to another. `This connection may be needed when it isdesired to operate two piston and cylinder `devices simultaneously, inwhich case one valve could control motive fluid Howto two devices. Suchport may also be used in sequence operation where the'passage 57 isconnected to the pilot control of another cylinder. When air is owinginto the piston and Icylinder device generally little pressure build-upoccurs until near the end of the stroke, at which time the pressurebuild-up could actuate a second device providing operation of thedevices in sequence.

The physical act of connecting the subplate to the piston and cylinderhead or cap is also used to seal the subplate to the cylinder head bymeans of an O-ring held captive in a groove 59 around the circularcylindrical passage 60 out of the central passage 53 in the bottomsurface of the subplate. When the plate is pulled down tight on thecylinder head, the O-ring 61 (FIGURE 4) electively seals between thesubplate and cap. The area about the ypassage 60 may be slightly raisedfrom the bottom dat asia-143 surface of the subplate to insure properO-ring sealing function as illustrated.

The subplate has its end passages 49 and 52 symmetrical about the centerline so that either one can be the supply port and other can act as theexhaust. Referring to FIGURE 4, when the air line is threaded into oneof the ports, an exhaust muler 62, a porous bronze member capable ofcontrolling the speed of the device by metering the exhaust air, isthreaded into the other port.

Each of the end ports in the subplate is provided with a threaded portand air supply may be taken from the one at the supply end of thesubplate for operating control valves or other devices. Also air may betaken from the Vthreaded port of the exhaust end of the subplate foroperating other devices. Referring to FIGURES 7 and 14, a threadedpassage 63 is tapped from one side of the subplate 37 normal thereto inposition to intersect the passage 52 in one corner of the passage. Whennot in use, a socketed threaded plug 64 may be inserted in the passage(FIGURE 3). At other times a tubing may be connected with the passage inorder to obtain air from either the air or the exhaust ports in thesubplate. Referring to FIG- URE 3, the similar threaded passage inpassage 49 is shown provided with a plug 65. Sequence operations may becontrolled with air from the exhaust side as well as the supply side ofthe subplate 37.

The subplate is also provided with passages for conducting pilot airpressure to a valve such as 38 mounted on the subplate. The passages forconducting the pilot air are shown in FIGURES 3, 7 and 16. At each endof the subplate there is a threaded passage 66 or 67 perpendicular tothe side of the subplate and to which an upright drilled hole 68 or 69,respectively, is connected. Thus, tubing such as 46 connected to thepilot connection of the subplate may conduct air to the ilat uppersurface 50 for the purpose of providing pilot actuation of the valve 38mounted on the subplate.

The physical act of mounting the valve 38 on the subplate 37 also sealsthe valve to the subplate. Extending around each of the passages in acontinuous fashion and mounted in a groove in the flat upper surface ofthe subplate is a resilient gasket 70. When the valve is mounted on thesubplate, the resilient gasket seals the valve and subplate together.Four tapped bores 71 extend into the subplate block at right angles tothe ilat upper surface 50 for the purpose of receiving screw fasteners72 extending vertically through the valve housing to attach the valve tothe subplate. The screws and their threaded bores are symmetrical aboutlongitudinal and lateral center lines permitting the valve to be mountedend-for-end in either of two positions 180 apart permitting the inletair line to be piped to either end of the subplate. The ports arearranged for mating in either position of the valve relative to thesubplate.

The power valve of this invention comprises a minimum number of parts.The body 73 (FIGURE 17) is an aluminum die-casting having a longitudinalbore 74 for the reception of a valve spool 75. The valving body has allat lower surface 76 intended to rest against the gasket 70 on the flatupper surface 50 of the subplate. The longitudinal bore of the valvebody is intersected by three ports of air passages, each formed asillustrated in FIG- URE 2l. The central air passage 77 extends from theflat surface 76 upwardly substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalbore 74. It is larger than the bore 74 in order to provide a passage allaround the bore. While the central passa-ge 77 is slightly off-center,it may be noted that the central passage in the subplate 37 is widerthan the passage in the valve body so that the two passages will matewhen the valve is turned end-for-end on the subplate. The valve body isprovided with an inlet air passage 78 and exhaust passage 79 equidistantfrom the center of the valve body. In the cross section through theexhaust passage (FIGURE 19) two of the bores for receiving the mountingscrews 72 are illustrated, each 6 with a central threaded section 80whereby the screws 72 may be held captive in the valve body by firstthreading through the section 80, whereupon the fastener is loose in thebores 81 so as to mate with the threaded bores 71 in the subplate.

The manner in which the pi-lot air pressure is conducted to the end ofthe valve body is best illustrated in FIG- URES 17, 18 and 20. A groove82 extends crosswise of the valve body and Iindented from the flat lowersurface 76. At one end of the gro-ove a bore 83 extends into the bodytow-ard the central bore 74. A small longitudinally extending passage 84connects the bore 83 with the end of the valve `body just outside of aprojecting flange 85 integral with the end of the body. The provision ofthe groove 82 across the valve body permits the pilot air passages 68 or69 in the subplate to always have cornmunication with the end of thevalve body. Nothing herein should be construed as limiting the actuationof the valve with air only as the pilot passages could be supplied withliquid under pressure from another source so that the valve would behydraulically actuated.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the valve spool 75 carries an O-ring seal 86 at`one enid and a similar Oring 87 at the opposite end for sealing theends of the spool to the bore of the body. Pilot air pressure conductedto the end of the valve body can thus -act on the end of the spool andbe sealed from the Ibalance of the valve by the O-rings 86 and 87.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the inlet air comes into the left-hand sideof the valve and is prevented from goin-g past the reduced section 88 onthe spool by the O-ring 89 cooperating with the bore 74 acting as aland. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the valve 38 is arranged as amomentary impulse valve. The spool will stay in either extreme to whichit has been moved.

Each end of the valve has three parts, a bonnet 90, a valve spring 91and a valve spring cage 92. The bonnet is rectangular as shown in FIGURE6, held in place by a pair of screw fasteners 93 threaded through thevalve bonnet and into the valve body. On the inside, the bonnet has acircular cylindrical recess and a central round post 94. The postcooperates with the round extension 95 on the end of the spool providinga stop, limiting movement of the spool in the body.

The valve spring cage and the spring may be mounted in differentpositions between the spool and the bonnet depending upon the desiredoperation of the valve. The cage has .a cylindrical part which is of asize to extend into the bore 74 in the valve body quite easily and anouter flange 96 at one end of the cylindrical part too large to llt intothe bore 74 but readily movable in the larger bore in lche bonnet. Asshown in FIGURE 4, the valve spring is held captive between the flange96 on the cage and the end Wall of the bonnet so that it is inoperative.The spring itself is a coiled compression spring with one end smallenough to fit within the lbore 74 of the valve body and the other endbeing larger to t about the cylindrical part of the cage and against theenlarged llange 96. One of the features of the present invention is thatthe cage and spring are present in the valve package and t-hus availablefor making the valve into different operative arrangements. The bonnetsmay be easily removed and attached to the valve body being sealedthereto by a rectangular O-ring 97 operative upon the fact of attachmentof the bonnet to the valve body. The bore in the bonnet is suilicientlylarge not t-o interfere with the passage of pilot air pressure throughthe pilot passages into the bonnet.

The different arrangements of the cage and spring -to the ends of thevalve spool to obtain different modes of operation of the valve areillustrated in FIGURES 9 to 12. In each of the figures, the air inlet isthe left-hand port, the central port is connected to the piston andcylinder `device and the right-hand port is the exhaust port, all asindicated by the arrows adjacent the passages.

FIGURE 9 shows a normally open valve. In this instance the cage 92 onthe right-hand side is mounted with its cylindrical part against thebottom wall of the bonnet 90 so that the cage surrounds the upstandingpost 94 in the bonnet. The small end of the spring 91 is caused to enterthe bore of the valve body so as to bear against the valve spool 75. Thelarger end of the spring bears outwardly against the end of the cage.The spring thus actively urges the valve spool to the left and into theposition illustrated wherein the air supply is connected to thecylinder.

The left-hand end of the normally open valve shown in FIGURE 9 has itscage holding the spring compressed between the llange on the cage andthe end Wall on the bonnet in an inoperative position. The cage flangeengages the raised end 85 of the valve body limiting its travel towardthe valve body. The valve will be closed by pilot air pressure conductedinto the left-hand end of the valve of suliicient magnitude to overcomethe compression in the spring 91 on the right-hand end, thus forcing thespool to the right. The spool travel is arrested by engagement of theprojection 95 on the spool with the post 94 in the bonnet 90.

FIGURE l shows the position of the cages and springs to provide anormally closed valve. Thus, the right-hand cage 92 holds the spring 91between its flange and the end wall of the bonnet 90. The left-hand cageis mounted about the central post 94 of the bonnet and holds the springactively compressed between the cage and the end of the valve spool,thus urging the spool to its right-hand position with the right-handprojection against the post in the right-hand bonnet. Quite obviously,this position of the valve spool connects the exhaust passage with thecentral passage 77 in the center of the valve while the O-ring 89cooperating with the bore 74 of the valve closes communication betweenthe supply and cylinder.

FIGURE 1l shows the condition and arrangement of the spools and springsproviding the valve with a momentary impulse oper-ation. It is atwo-position valve in which the valve spool 75 is moved to its extremeposition to the left or to its extreme position to the yright by theimpulse of pilot air pressure acting on the end of the spool. Once thespool is moved, it will remain in its extreme position until acted uponby pilot air pressure, thus moving the spool in the opposite direction.

For momentary impulse operation each cage 92 holds the spring 91 betweenits ange and the end wall of the bonnet 90. Thus, each spring is ineffect inactive so that the valve spool travels between extremepositions with its end projections 95 abutting one or the other of theposts 94 of the bonnet-s.

In FIGURE l2, a three-position spring-centered valve operation isaccomplished by the arrangement of valve cages and springs. Each end ofthe valve is the same so that the springs with the cages abuttingagainst stops and the spool abutting the cages centers the valve spoolclosing all ports. In this instance, the cage 92 is turned endfor-endfrom its position described above, so that its cylindrical part extendsinto the valve bore 74, the extent being limited by the fiange 96 on thecage engaging the end S5 of the valve body. The spring 91 is compressedbetween the end wall of the bonnet 90 and the cage. As the valve spool75 moves against the compression of the spring 91, the cage can moveinside the bonnet to allow the movement of the spool 75, The cage mayactually telescope to a slight extent over the post 94 during suchoperation. The valve spool is ordinarily moved by pilot air pressurecon-ducted to one bonnet or the other, the air pressure being suflicientto overcome the spring compression. Once the air pressure is released,the described arrangement of springs and cages positively will returnthe valve spool to its center position blocking all ports.

The present valve structure 38 thus contains within its package all ofthe structure by which the valve can `alternatively be made to functionas a two-position normally open valve, a normally closed valve, amomentary impulse valve, or a three-position, spring-centered valve. Thechange from one mode of operation to another may be very simplyaccomplished since either bonnet may be easily removed, the arrangementof the cage and spring selected and the bonnet reat'tached to the valvebody.

The valve cage is also preferably an aluminum diecasting in which theange 96 is provided with spaced enlarged nodules 98 which extend beyondthe end of the ange longitudinally of the central bore 99 and alsoextend laterally outwardly so thatwhile the cage is mounted within thevalve, there is always space between the nodules through which air forpilot operation of the valve may be conducted (FIGURE 13).

The operation of the valve unit, while equipped with the componentsarrangeable for the various open, closed, momentary impulse andspring-centered operations specified, is also readily convertible toother operations. In a sequence operation where two piston and cylinderdevices, for example, are to operate 4one after the other, the valve maybe modied to prov-ide such operation automatically. In this instance,the valve on the first cylinder might be a momentary impulseair-actuated valve and a connection into the central port of thesubplate 37 through the removal of plug 58 would be made to the pilotconnection of the subplate on `an adjacent cylinder. Air pressure in thefirst cylinder subplate would build up in amount when the first cylinderreached the end of its stroke. This increase of pressure would also beconducted through the connected line to the pilot operator -of thesecond cylinders power valve.

In order to make the second valve described above work in the sequenceoperation, the valve spool of the valve would be kept in either anormally open or a normally closed position by an adjustable springwhich is intended to be overcome by the air pressure from the centralport of the rst cylinder power valve subplate. Thus, the bonnet on theleft-hand end of the valve such as illustrated in FIGURE 10 or thebonnet on the right-hand end of FIGURE 9 is replaced by a bonnetcontaining an adjustable spring against which the air pressure willoperate through the intermediary of the valve spool. Referring toFIGURES 22 and 23, it may be noted the valve 38 is mounted on the samesubplate 37 having the .air supply pipe 42 threaded into the supply port48 communieating with the air supply passage 7S in the valve bodythrough the supply passage 49 in the subplate. The lefthand ordinarybonnet, cage and spring has beenrernoved and replaced by a sequencebonnet 100. This is an elongated bonnet containing a spring 101extending between a spacer 102 surrounding the extension 95 on the endof the valve spool and providing a pad against which the spring rests,and a spring seat washer 103 at the opposite end of the spring. Thebonnet is closed, drilled and tapped at its end 104 so as to receive athreaded shaft 105 movable lengthwise into andout of the bonnet by aturning handle 106. A check nut 107 may be threaded on the shaft andplaced in position to limit the amount of movement of the shaft into thebonnet if desired. The base portion 108 of the bonnet is rectangular andof the same size as the regular bonnet 90 on the valve and held in placeon the valve body by a pair of screw fasteners 109 (FIGURE 23). Theshaft 105 bears against the spring seat 103, but is not connectedthereto, so that turning of the shaft can adjust the spring seat towardand away from the valve spool, changing the force applied by the spring101 against the valve spool to hold it in the normally closed position.This adjustment can vary the magnitude of air pressure which has to beexerted against the righthand end of the valve 33 to overcome thekspring pressure and thus open the valve for sequence operation of pistonand cylinder devices. By maintaining the pilot pressure on theright-hand end of the valve 38, the valve may be held open as long asdesired. The sequencing operation can cause the movement of the pistonrods of the controlled cylinders in one direction in sequence and thenin the opposite direction in sequence or together or in other sequencesas desired.

Manual control of the valves is also desirable in certain circumstances.A foot treadle, palm buttons, or hand levers are various manual meansfor operating valves. The present valve structure is particularlyadaptable to any of these operations. In FIGURES 24 to 27, a hand leveroperator for the valve 38 is illustrated. Ordinarily, the hand leverreplaces the right-hand bonnet on the valve as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

The hand lever (FIGURE 24) has a base portion 110 held in place upon thevalve body by a pair of machine screws 111 oriented in position as arethe screws 109 on the sequence bonnet or the screws 93 on the regularbonnet 90. A pair of arms 112 extend upwardly and away from the base 110in order to support a shaft 113 upon which the hand lever 114 ismounted. Referring to FIG- URES 26 and 27, the base of the hand levercomprises a pivot member 115 secured to the cross shaft by a set screw116 and threadably supporting the lever 114 locked thereto lby the nut117. Below the shaft 113, the pivot member is bifurcated to provide fourngers operating in pairs. The operating pairs are the lingers 118 whichhave opposite straight line portions forming a throat between thestraight lines 119. The pairs of so formed fingers 118 are separated asindicated in FIGURE 27 by the pairs 118 and 11851. The operation is forthe purpose of straddling a shaft 120 which passes through the base 110of the lever operator and is threaded into the extension 95 on the valvespool which is drilled and tapped for that purpose. The particularextension referred to is that shown on the right-hand end of the valveas illustrated in FIGURE 4. A collar 121 is secured to the shaft 120 andthe fingers 118 embrace the collar 121 so that the line contact of thefingers therewith can move the shaft 120 longitudinally of the valvewithout binding. Any knob 122 can be provided on the handle as desired.

The handle operator may move the valve spool in opposition to springpressure exerted against the valve spool to provide a normally closedvalve as shown in FIGURE 10. It may also be used so that air pressure inthe pilot port causes the valve to be normally closed. Since the handleis connected to the valve spool, it can be used to close, open, or holdthe valve spool in a centered position Where all ports are closed.

The present valving unit is admirably suited for remote control or themounting of controls directly to the subplate part of the unit. InFIGURE 28 an exploded view of the components showing the modules of acontrol mounted directly to the valving unit consisting of the subplate37 and valve 38 is illustrated. In this instance, air is supplied to theport 51 on the right-hand side of the subplate 37. Control air is tappedfrom the supply and therefore, the plug 64 would be removed from thetapped passage 63 since this passage will be connected with the airsupply. A three-port subplate 123 with an eighth inch tapped throughpassage 124 to match the eighth inch tapped passage 63 on the subplate37 may be attached directly to the subplate by a fastener utilizing thethreads in both passages. At the same time the threaded passage 67 insubplate 37 connects with the pilot air pressure opening 69 whichpassages can be used to control the valve 38 as has been described. Atapped passage 125 in the three-port subplate 123 is so arranged thatits relationship to the tapped passage 124 matches the relationshipbetween the two tapped passages in the subplate 37. Thus, fasteners eachutilizing the threads in the passages 124 and 67, respectively, can beused to further secure the small valve subplate to the side of thelarger valve subplate 37, it being understood that appropriate gasketsare provided between the two blocks of the subplates. Once theconnection is made, plugs such as 126 may be 18 inserted in the exposedpassages 124 and 125 blocking escape of air from the subplate 123.

The control valve is a two-position, open or closed, spool-type valve127. It is mountable by four screws 128 directly into the subplate 123so that the valve ports communicate with the ports 129, 130 and 131,there being a gasket 123 surrounding the ports in the same generalfashion as the gasket 70 on the larger subplate 37. The end of the valvespool 132 is visible in the drawings on the upper end of the valve 127.

The solenoid operator which performs merely the function of moving theva-lve spool in the control valve 127 may, in the present modularsystem, be attached to the small valve subplate 123. Herein, thesolenoid housing 133 is shown `as having the same width as the subplate123 and the valve 127. A headed screw fastener 134 with a hex opening135 therein may be extended through an opening in the bottom wall of thesolenoid housing and threaded into a tapped end passage 136 in the smallvalve subplate to secure the solenoid housing to the subplate. When sosecured, the solenoid plunger will be directly in line with the valvespool of the small valve 127.

It is the purpose of the present valving unit consisting of its subplate37 and valve 38 to so form the subplate that components such as controlvalves and solenoid operators therefor may be either directly attachedto the subplate 37 or remotely assembled thereto. FIGURE 28 illustratesthe convenience with `which such components may be secured to thesubplate 37 because of the arrangement of the tapped ports through whichcontrol air may be taken from the source piped to the subplate and therelationship thereof to the pilot ports such as 67 making it convenientto provide control air pressure to the ends of the valve spool of valve38. Since the subplate 37 is fastened to a piston and cylinder device bya fastener 55 completely inside the air passages, the gaskets on thefaces of the subplate are all that are needed for sealing purposes inthe assembly. Similarly, it is contemplated that gaskets betweensubplates directly mounted are provided in connection with the fastenersused so no other sealing structure is needed. It may be noted that inthe arrangement shown in FIGURE 28, the valve 38 can be removed from thesubplate 37 completely independently of any of the other structure.Additionally, the piston and cylinder device could be removed from thevalving unit without disturbing the control valves, the solenoid orremoving the same from the subplate 37. Likewise, either the controlvalve 127 or the solenoid box 133 could be removed since they are onlyconnected to the subplate 123 and such removal would not disturb any ofthe other modules.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the present valving unit providesa novel modular construction whereby the components may be securedtogether to get whatever valve operation is desired. By directlyattaching a subplate to each port of a piston and cylinder device andpiping the air supply to that subplate, many advantages accrue. Pressureregulators may be set independently of each other to provide whateverpressure is desired on each end of the cylinder. High pressure may bedesired for the working stroke and relatively low pressure for thereturn stroke, thus saving considerable expense in compressing air.

The direct mounting of the valving unit on the ports of a piston andcylinder device provides the greatest speed of operation as well asproviding the greatest flexibility in the type of operation desired. Thevalving unit has great iiexibility in providing various operations andcarrying the components therein for supplying these operations. However,it is contemplated that the greatest benefits can be achieved by usingthe valve as a momentary impulse air-actuated valve structure. Thecontrols for air actuation can be all air and merely started and stoppedelectrically at a remote location or any hand, foot, treadle or othermanually operated remotely placed control valve. This gives all theadvantages of greater speed and air savings and piping savings bymounting the power valve close to the motor and making variations onlyin the manner of control. The necessity for various sizes of powervalves and different modes of operation thereof may be eliminated.

The use of momentary impulse valves 38 and 40 also simplifies theproblem of piping. After connections are made in a particularinstallation, the controls may be actuated and the cylinder operationobserved. Should the piston rod move in the wrong direction in relationto the throw of the control valves, the control leads may be simplyreversed either at the subplates 37 and 39 or at the control valves.Complicated piping diagrams may be largely eliminated by the use of thepresent valving structure.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

We claim:

1. A valving unit, comprising:

a generally box-like subplate having a substantially fiat upper surfacewith ports within the confines of said surface,

a spool-type valve having a iiat bottom surface with ports within thecontines of 'said bottom surface,

a plurality of fasteners having mating parts in said valve and subplateengageable for removably securing said valve to said subplate with saidports in register,

said subplate having a central passage from one of its ports extendingthrough the subplate for conducting duid to and from the valve to amember supplied with fluid through the valving unit, A

said subplate having a web extending across a portion of said centralpassage and a fastener secured against said web and to said membersupplied with iiuid through the valving unit for securing the subplateto such member,

said fastener being wholly within the passage for iluid through thesubplate and into such member requiring no seals about the fastener,

means forming separate passages on either side and adjacent of saidcentral passage in the subplate from its other ports, each having alateral passage to the exterior of the subplate for connection of uidsupply and exhaust whereby iiuid may be supplied to the subplateindependently of the valve and flow thereof to the central passage iscontrolled solely by the valve secured to the subplate.

2. A valve as specied in claim 1 in which a iluidtight closure ismounted on one end of the valve body, a passage extends in the valvebody from said at bottom surface to said one end for introduction offluid into the closure providing pressure against the valve spool, andan elongated bonnet is removably secured to the other end of said valvebody, said bonnet having an adjustable compression spring therein urgingsaid valve spool in pposition to said fluid pressure at said one end ofthe spool.4

3. A valving unit as set forth in claim 1 in which the subplate isprovided with an auxiliary lateral opening connected into said centralpassage whereby operation of a plurality of devices may occur -by duidpiping connections to said central passage controlled solely by saidvalve.

4. A valving unit as set forth in claim 1 in which said subplate flatupper surface has a groove extending continuously about the periphery ofsuch surface and portions between each adjacent port with all lportionsof said grooves joining the same in continuous fashion and a resilientgasket of continuous form substantially filling said groove separatingsaid ports and providing a seal between the at surface of the subplateand the flat bottom surface of said valve upon the securing Of saidfasteners to hold the valve on the subplate,

Cil

5. A valving unit member, comprising:

a subplate having substantially fiat surfaces arranged in box-likefashion with outer surfaces including an upper, a lower, two end and twoside surfaces,

the upper flat surface having ports within its confines for mounting aspool-type valve upon said flat surface with ports mating the ports insaid fiat surface,

means forming a central fluid passage through the subplate between theupper at surface and the opposite lower surface, Y

means forming a separate passage extending from said flat upper surfaceinto the subplate one on either side of said central uid passage, Y

means forming a threaded Opening from the adjacent end surface into therespective separate passage for connection of said passages to fluidsupply and exhaust means,

one side surface having a port therein in alignment with a portion ofone said separate passage and .means forming a threaded bore from saidpor-t inwardly from said side surface to intersection with said separatepassage whereby fluid supply in .said separa-te passage may be conductedto the side surface of the subplate,

a pilot fluid port in said upper flat surface and means forming apassage from said pilot port to said one side surface so that a controlvalve unit may be connected to said subplate without disturbing either avalve mounted on said flat upper surface of said subplate or fluidconducting means connected to the subplate.

6. A valving unit member, comprising:

a subplate for -mounting a spool-type valve,

means forming a threaded opening and supply passage in one end of thesubplate,

auxiliary lateral extending means in the subplate for tappin-g olf fluidfrom the supply passage to the exterior of the subplate for pilotoperation of said valve, i

means forming passages in the subplate for conducting uid respectivelyto a connected device and to exhaust with such means being completelyseparate from the supply passage and each other within the subplate,said supply 'being connectable to such passages only through a valvemounted on the subplate,

and means forming a pilot uid passage in said subplate adjacent to saidauxiliary iiuid tapping means opening laterally to the exterior of thesubplate whereby a pilot control valve may ybe connected to saidsubplate separate from a spool-type valve mounted on said subplate andcontrol such spool-type valve through passages in the subplate.

7. A valving unit, comprising:

a generally box-like subplate having a substantially fiat Aupper surfacewith ports within the confines of said surface, Y

a spool-type valve body having a flat bottom surface with separate portswithin the contines of said bottorn surface matin-g with said ports insaid subplate,

said ports in said valve inclu-ding a central port and separate portseach longitudinally spaced equidistant from the center of the housing, f

a plurality of fasteners having mating parts in said valve and subplateengageable for removably securing said valve to said subplate with saidports in register, said separate ports being symmetrically arrangedrelative to said fastening means and said fastening means beingsymmetrical about the center of said valve body permitting the valve tobe mounted relative to the subplate in either of two positions each tothe other position,

said subplate having a central passage from one of its ports extendingstraight through the subplate for conducting fiuid to and from the valvecentral port to a member supplied with fluid through the valving unit,

means forming separate passages on either side and said subplateincluding a pilot fluid passage at each end adjacent said means formingseparate passages, said pilot passages having a lateral portion opening-to the side of said subplate for connection of a pilot uid pressurerline, said valve having a body provided with a pilot fluid passageinternally of the body with connection to the end of the body and inregistry with said pilot uid pressure passage whereby pilot uid may beconducted to the ends of the valve body for movement of the valve spoolunder influence of pilot fluid pressure.

8. A valving unit, comprising:

a generally box-like subplate having a substantially flat upper surfacewith ports within the confines of said surface,

a spool-type valve body having ya flat bottom surface with separateports within the contines of said bottom surface mating with said portsin said subplate,

said ports in said valve including a central port and separate portseach longitudinally spaced equidistant from the center of the housing,

a -plurality of fasteners having mating parts in said valve and subplateengageable for removably securing said valve to said subplate with saidports iin register, said separate ports ybeing symmetrically arrangedrelative to said fastening means and said fastening means beingsymmetrical about the center of said valve body permitting the valve tobe mounted relative to the isubplate in either of two positions each 180to the other position,

said subplate having a central passage from one of its ports extendingstraight through the subplate for con- 4 ducting fluid to and from theValve central port to `a member supplied with fluid through the valvingunit,

means forming separate passages on either side and adjacent of saidcentral passage in the subplate from its other ports, each having alateral passage to the exterior of the subplate for connection of fluidsupply and exhaust lilies thereto whereby iluid may ybe supplied to thesubplate independently of the valve and ow thereof to the centralpassage is controlled solely by the valve secured to the subplate,

said valve body having a pilot fluid groove extending across its flatbottom surface adjacent each end and a fluid passage internally of thevalve body communicating the pilot fluid groove with the end of thevalve 'body for directing pilot fluid to the ends of the valve body,said valve ybody having a hollow bonnet sealed -to the end thereof withsaid fluid passage directing the pilot uid to the interior of the bonnetfor application of pressure to the valve spool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,421 5/1955Avery IS7- 625.63 2,891,517 6/1959 Towler et ral. l37-625.63 X 2,928,3803/1960 Krapf 137-625.63 X 2,958,339 11/1960 Meddock 137-625.63 X2,961,001 lll/1960 Pippenger 137-625.63 3,062,236 11/1962 Ludwig137-625.69 3,089,517 5/1963 Ludwig 137-625.63 3,133,559 5/1964 Tennis137-625.69 X 3,135,294 6/1964 Huber 137-625.63 3,152,614 10/1964 Carls137-625.69 3,174,510 3/1965 Nelson 137-625.69 3,182,729 5/1965 Carlin etal. 137-625.69 X 3,191,626 6/1965 Leibfritz 137-625.69

FOREIGN PATENTS 113,843 3/ 1918 Great Britain.

0 M. CARY NELSON, Primaly Examiner.

S. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A VALVING UNIT, COMPRISING: A GENERALLY BOX-LIKE SUBPLATE HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY FLAT UPPER SURFACE WITH PORTS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAIDSURFACE, A SPOOL-TYPE VALVE HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM SURFACE WITH PORTSWITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID BOTTOM SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF FASTENERSHAVING MATING PARTS IN SAID VALVE AND SUBPLATE ENGAGEABLE FOR REMOVABLYSECURING SAID VALVE TO SAID SUBPLATE WITH SAID PORTS IN REGISTER, SAIDSUBPLATE HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE FROM ONE OF ITS PORTS EXTENDINGTHROUGH THE SUBPLATE FOR CONDUCTING FLUID TO AND FROM THE VALVE TO AMEMBER SUPPLIED WITH FLUID THROUGH THE VALVING UNIT, SAID SUBPLATEHAVING A WEB EXTENDING ACROSS A PORTION OF SAID CENTRAL PASSAGE AND AFASTENER SECURED AGAINST SAID WEB AND TO SAID MEMBER SUPPLIED WITH FLUIDTHROUGH THE VALVING UNIT FOR SECURING THE SUBPLATE TO SUCH MEMBER, SAIDFASTENER BEING WHOLLY WITHIN THE PASSAGE FOR FLUID THROUGH THE SUBPLATEAND INTO SUCH MEMBER REQUIRING NO SEALS ABOUT THE FASTENER, MEANSFORMING SEPARATE PASSAGES ON EITHER SIDE AND ADJACENT OF SAID CENTRALPASSAGE IN THE SUBPLATE FROM ITS OTHER PORTS, EACH HAVING A LATERALPASSAGE TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE SUBPLATE FOR CONNECTION OF FLUID SUPPLYAND EXHAUST WHEREBY FLUID MAY BE SUPPLIED TO THE SUBPLATE INDEPENDENTLYOF THE VALVE AND FLOW THEREOF TO THE CENTRAL PASSAGE IS CONTROLLEDSOLELY BY THE VALVE SECURED TO THE SUBPLATE.